It’s a lot of hot air. The bureaucrats probably didn’t realize what they were doing when they shelled out $600,000 this year to send a Medicare blimp touring around the country.
I don’t mean just the money. The blimp money is just part of the $30 million that Medicare spends annually to let Medicare recipients know they’re on Medicare. I don’t quite understand the rationale, but I guess it’s one of those don’t-ask, don’t-tell things. The blimp displays the 800 number people can call to ask questions about Medicare. If there’s anybody out there who wants to know what the Medicare people will tell you when you ask them about their policies, I suggest you go ahead and call Medicare.
In any case, my point is that the metaphor is just too perfect. The very first sentence of the story by Associated Press says, “Finally, proof that government is full of hot air, or at least helium.” The blimp is being funded with our tax money, so let it advertise our causes too.
I think the blimp should give the number people can call to ask about bureaucratic waste and fraud. Also a number people can call to learn about how government spending and taxes have been increasing. Also a number for info on self-serving porkbarrel projects perpetrated by career politicians in the Congress. Or, heck, the blimp could just give the web address for termlimits.org. I talk about all these issues. And more. The blimp should say, visit termlimits.org and sign up for the free email edition of Common Sense. That’s termlimits.org . . . termlimits.org.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.